Bowling pin spotting device



Feb. 28, 1950 J. J. WEST EI'AL 2,499,081

BOWLING PIN SPOTTING DEVICE 2 Shee ts-Sh'eet 1 Filed March 29, 1946 EEL/NLJFQfE/WAM Feb. 28, 1950' J. J. was-r EF'AL BDWLING PIN SPOTTING DEVICE Filed March 29, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JOHN I WEST.

[e4 M11 fEfE/Wfi/V. g? My raise the spotter frame at all.

Patented Feb. 28, 1950 John J.

West and Erlin L. Freeman,

Baltimore, Md.

ApplicationMarch 29, 1946, Serial No. 658,281

This invention relates to means for insuring accuracy in the spotting of bowling pins and for indicating on a signal board which pins are properly spotted on the bowling alley. f

Spotter frames are commonly used above or below the bowling alleys for positioning the bowling pins. The lower spotter frame referred to herein has centering pins projecting upwardly through the pin spots on the alley, and the bowling pins are formed with holes in their lower ends so that the boys who spot the bowling pins can raise the spotter frame, place thebowling pins over the ends of the centering pins andthereby accurately spot the bowling pins. After-the bowling pins have been spotted, the spotter'frame is lowered and the centering pins attached to it are thereby drawn downward below the surface of the alley.

Owing to carelessness on the part of'pin boys, the spotter frames are not alwayskept in their upper positions until all of the pins have been set, and this results in inaccurate spotting of those pins which are set without the aid of the centering pins. Also, owing to faulty construction and worn or broken parts, the spotter frames do not always work properly and some of the centering pins may not be projected above the surface of the alley far enough toserve as guides for locating the bowling pins, and the pin boys will then set some of the pins inapproximate positions without the aid'of thetentering pins. Or, a slovenly pin boy, unless watched, may not In order that the players may be assured that the pin boy has correctly spotted all of the pins, and also to enable the players to determine at a glance which pins have been knocked off of the spots by the balls and which pins have been left standing, I provide a signal board carrying lamps arranged in positions corresponding to the positions of the pin spots in the .alley'and means associated with the pin spots for closing electric circuits through all of the lamps. I also provide pin spots in the alley with contact members connected to the corresponding lamps on the signal board, and the ends of the bowling pins bridge these contacts when the pins are accurately spotted. The pin boy should raise the spotter frame (when one is used) before'he starts to spot the bowling pins, and he should keep it in its uppermost position until all of the pins have been spotted. When he raises the frame the pins are properly positioned at predetermined locations and rest on the switch contacts positioned in the floor of the alley and close the circuits to .1 I 2 claims. (Cl. 273-46) 2 j the lamps on the signal board corresponding to the properly set pins which will be lit, if the apparatus is working properly, and the pins have been properly set, and if he lowers the frame before all of the pins have been spotted, the lights corresponding to the spots on which the bowling pins have not been spotted will not be lit. If he spots all of the bowling pins before lowering the frame, the lamps will remain lighted until the pins are knocked off of the spots by the player, because the bowling pins will close the switches and complete the circuits to the lamps before the centering pin members on the frame leave the bowling pin on the pin spots. Unless each specific lamp remains lighted from the time that the pin boy starts to spot the first pin until he has finished, it will be evident that he has not followed instructions and properly spaced each bowling pin on its centering pin, or that there is something wrong with the apparatus. As the bowling pins are knocked off of the spots, the corresponding lamps will be extinguished and thus the player, by observing the signal board an tell at a glance which bowling pins have been knocked off their proper spots and which are left standing.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved structure in bowling alleys that will avoid one or more of the disadvantages and limitations of the prior art.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a new and improved structure for use with bowling pins and'alleys that will permit the accurate placement of the pins on the alley floor with and .without the use of spotter frames.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved structure in bowling pins and alleys that will indicate visually on a display board when the pins are accurately positioned thereon and when not, or knocked down.

For a better understanding of this invention and other objects thereof reference is made to the attached drawings and the following description,

while the scope of the invention is set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through part of a bowling alley, and spotter. frame, on the line Il of Figure 2, the bowling pins being shown in side elevation;

"one of the pin spots, seated inthe alley, taken Referring to the drawings, l represents the floor of a bowling alley, in which are; set the pinspots I I. Each pin spot comprises circular metal plates 12 and 22, having a central opening" l3,

and a depending sleeve [4 the bore of whichis aligned with the opening. The-plates are. em.--

bedded in the floor, flush with its upper surface,

and extend over a circular hole in the floor,

and they are removably secured to the floor by screws I-fi,.: Atseyeralpoints equidistantfrom the axis of the opening I3, thev plates are provided with apertures IT, in which arefitted resilient plungers 18;. of insulating material, and V metal contact members, I19 attached to; said plungers. These contact members are. of similar formas shown in Figure. 4,. the lower contact members 20 consisting of V-shaped: spring units. as well as v-shaped contacts [9 fitted within the insulating separators 2|. The circular metal plates I2 and -22 are spaced fromv each other so as to. allow the wiring conductors. 4|. for the electrical parts of the deviceto run said space to the single pole switches 24.; The circular metal plate I2 is flush .with the surface-of the. alley floor, but the heads of the resilient plunge-rs l-8 project slightly above the surface of the. floor, as illustrated in Figured The electrical conductors are attached tothe single. pole: switches Zk-and indicating, lamps. 25 .as shown in. Figure 6.

Each bowling pin 26- is formedwith an axial bore 21, in its: lower end 28,. adapted to rest upon the heads of the resilient, plungers when the bowlpin is correctly spotted. The three resilient plungers it are, equidistant. from. one another as well as from the axis of the bore in the plate 1.2, and when the. bowling; pinis correctly spotted, it

.will depress the. resilient plungers through the pressure of the lower end 23 of the. bowling. pin 26 and electrically connect the circuit through the said three single pole. switches.

. For enabling the pin boys to correctlyand quickly spot the bowling, pins, a movable spotter frame 3. 3 is arranged beneath the alley floor I5 and this frame carries centering pins or. pegs 35, which extend into and are guided by the sleeves [4. Any suitable form of spotter frame may be employed, and for the purpose of illustration I have shown a spotter frame which is described in the patent to Grifilth, Number 1,635,784, dated July 12, 1927. This frame is suspended from the 'alley floor and is movable upwardly by means of a, foot lever 36; centrally pivoted in a bracket 31,

which depends from a plate 38, secured to the alley floor. To: move the spotter frame and centering pins upwardly, the pin boy steps on the end 39 of the lever, and whenithe. centering pins tare projected above the; pin. spots the. boy places the bowling pins over the. centering pins and: then takes his; foot; 01? of the lever and allows the frame and centering pins to dropso. that. the ends of the latter pins will be below the surface of the alley- Frequently, where mechanical pin spotter devices are usedi-the bowling-pins. will not: be accucorrectly place bowling pins.

rately spotted because a careless pin boy will allow the pin frame to drop before he has spotted all of the bowling pins and some of them will be set without the aid of the centering pins; also, because of broken centering pins or other defects in the mechanism, the bowling pins are often spotted without the aid of the centering pins.

It is the purpose of this invention to insure the correct spotting of the bowling pins by providing means whereby inaccuracy in the spotting will be indicated on a signal board 40 which is arranged at a convenient point in full View of the players.

The contact members of the three Single pole switches of each pin spot are electrically connected. together in series by conductors 4i, and a wire 42 leads from one of said switches, while a -wire 43. leads fromanother switch. In Figure 6 of the drawing the pin spots are indicated at 44 and the conductors 43 of the several spots are connected to a wire 45 which leads from a source oielectric. power 46. -Ihe conductors ll ofthe several spots lead .to corresponding lamps. 25 on the. signal board 4B, and from the lamps conductors 48 lead through a conductor 49. to the current source 45. The lampson the signal board arearranged soas to correspond in positions with thepositions of the pin spots to which the lamps areconnected by the conductors 41. I With this arrangement, it=will be evident that when all the, bowling pins are correctly spotted, the electric circuits to. all .of the lamps will be completed through the contact. members in the pin spots and the lower ends of the bowling vpins which rest upon them, andthat if a pinis not correctly spotted the circuit through the correspondinglamp .on the signalv board will not be completed. Hence, the player will know which bowling pin, if any, is not correctly positioned.

The instructions to the-pin boy will be. to keep the spotter frame raised to its uppermost position until. all of the bowling pins have been set.

If he obeys instructions, all ofv the bowling pins pin. boy starts to. set, upthe bowling pins until he has. finished. and moved away from them, the players, as well as theperson in charge. of the alleys, will know, it they havewatched the signal board, thatthe pins are in their correct positions.

If the pinr-boyattempts to. set the bowling pins without. the, aid of thecentering pins, it will take longer and only-those, lamps, will lght which. correspond with thespotson which hehappens, to Frequently, in the use of spotter frames, a careless pin boy will raise the frame- While heis spotting the major portion of the bowling pins, but will allow it to drop be,- fore he has set all of the pins.

This delinquency will, of course, be observable at the signal board by the unlightedlamps corresponding to the spots on which the pins were not set properly. It will also. be evident that if the spotter frame, by reason of defective workmanship or Wcar'or damage, does not Work-properly so as to extend all of the gated-and remedied; I

From the players position at one end of the alley, it ;1s not always possible to determine at a glance; and without shifting his position, how many bowling pins are left standing at the other end of the alley after the player has had his turn at rolling the balls; but it will be evident that, with the present improvements, as the bowling pins are knocked off of the spots, the corresponding lights on the signal board will be extinguished and the lamps remaining lighted will indicate how many and which pins are left standing.

While but one general form of the invention is shown in the drawings and described in the specifications, it is not desired to limit this application for patent to this particular form, as it is appreciated that other forms of construction could be made that would use the same principles and come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In combination with a bowling alley, pin spots located on said alley, each of said spots comprising a ferrule, a plurality of switches carried;thereby and adapted to cooperate with the rounded base of a bowling pin, means for operating said switches comprising a plurality of plungers normally protruding above the alley floor and circularly arranged about a circle of smaller diameter than the base of the bowling pin, whereby positioning of the pin on all of said plungers will depress said plungers and close all of said switches, a display board, and electrical wiring means between said pin spots and said display board including a series connection between said switches.

2. The combination with a bowling alley of pin spots as set forth in claim 1, said ferrule comprising an upper circular and hollow portion housing said switches and plungers, and a depending, hollow skirt portion of smaller diameter guiding the electrical wiring means to said switches, both said upper and lower portion of the ferrule providing a central hollow opening adapted to align with an opening extending inwardly from the base of a bowling pin.

JOHN J. WEST. ERLIN L. FREEMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,022,083 Hobbs Apr. 2, 1912 1,635,784 Grifiith July 12, 1927 2,009,266 James July 23, 1935 2,138,423 Kaiserman Nov. 29, 1938 2,237,208 Abate Apr. 1, 1941 2,452,288 Blando Oct. 26, 1948 

